In the new version of the US-Ukrainian agreement on subsoil, the US demands control over the Russian “Gazprom” gas pipeline in Ukraine.
Reuters reports this, citing sources.
Washington wants Kyiv to transfer management of the “Gazprom” gas pipeline, which previously transported Russian gas to Europe, to the US International Finance Corporation.
Describing the talks between the United States and Ukraine that began in Washington on April 11, a Reuters source said that there was a “very antagonistic” atmosphere due to the maximalist demands of the United States. And therefore, the prospects for a breakthrough in the agreement remain slim.
The Ukrainian delegation came to the negotiations accompanied by the law firm Hogan Lovells to protect its interests. It assists the negotiating team and at the same time conducts its own track directly with American lawyers.
The new version of the agreement on Ukrainian minerals, as well as on oil and gas, does not provide security guarantees for Ukraine, but instead provides the United States with privileged access to Ukrainian deposits and profits from their development.
Kyiv believes this could undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, divert profits abroad and deepen the country’s dependence on the US. Ukraine will ask to change the deal, demanding in return increased US investment. The US President Donald Trump has already threatened Zelensky with “big problems” if he abandons the subsoil deal.
What preceded
The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent brought a pilot draft of a minerals agreement to Ukraine on February 12. Washington hoped that Kyiv would sign it immediately. However, President Zelensky said that he had banned the signing of the agreement because it would not be able to protect Ukraine’s interests — there is no connection to investments, profits, and security guarantees. After that, it began to be finalized.
The final agreement was supposed to be signed on February 28, during Volodymyr Zelenskyʼs visit to the White House. However, then Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president had a falling out — the Ukrainian delegation left the White House early. The document was not signed. However, both sides stated that negotiations on the agreement were ongoing.
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